The best fantasy football waiver pickups for week 17

Steve Smith, Ty Montgomery, Joe Flacco, and the players that will help you win your fantasy championship.

The final countdown is here—the fantasy playoffs are ready to finish up.

Welcome to the post-Week 16 installment of the Waiver Wire weekly series for the 2016 fantasy football season. As always, the ownership numbers are taken from Fleaflicker leagues.

For many, the 2016 fantasy football season is nearly over, with only Monday Night Football of Week 16 standing between your league and crowning a champion. However, there are still a select few out there who play into Week 17 and we will never forget you. That said, these will be briefer reports with no long-term plans to consider.

Week 16 was a rough one for injuries, headlined by Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota suffering fractured fibulas alongside Carlos Hyde tearing his MCL. Tyler Lockett appeared to suffer an ugly lower right leg injury, and fellow Seahawk Thomas Rawls has a bruised shoulder and did not play in the second half. Tampa Bay’s Cameron Brate absorbed a hit to his lower back that took him out of the game, with Donte Moncrief (shoulder), DeSean Jackson (jaw), Kenny Britt (shoulder), T.J. Yeldon (ankle) and Chris Ivory (hamstring) also being forced from their respective games. Whew.

Ty Montgomery (RB/WR, GB) – 54% Owned

Montgomery wasn’t called upon much in Week 16 with Aaron Rodgers slinging it with ease against the Vikings, as TyMont only tallied 23 rushing yards on nine carries with four catches for 17 more yards. Montgomery was never going to beat his wild Week 15, but he should do better than this in a Week 17 matchup against a Lions defense that is susceptible to shiftier, pass-catching RBs.

Jacquizz Rodgers (RB, TB) – 26% Owned

Rodgers was the starter with Doug Martin as a surprise inactive (coach’s decision) in Week 16 against the Saints. It’s unclear why exactly Martin was given the day off, whether it had to do with ineffectiveness or health (there had been a bug going around in the locker room), but this writer’s money would be on ineffectiveness. Jacquizz showed why he was able to be successful earlier in the season, rushing it 15 times for 63 yards and a touchdown as he out-touched pass-catcher Charles Sims 17 to 7. Keep an eye on news coming out of Tampa Bay, but Rodgers is definitely the one to own for Week 17’s date with the Panthers.

Paul Perkins (RB, NYG) – 21% Owned

Perkins turned 15 carries into 68 yards in Week 16 against the Eagles, tacking on two catches for nine more yards as he looked to be the sharper runner compared to Rashad Jennings yet again. Of course, Jennings is still the one to come in toward the goal line, which limits Perkins’ ceiling. With the Giants locked into a wild card berth, Perkins and company will trot into Washington for a Week 17 divisional battle against a defense that has allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of their past two games.

Steve Smith Sr. (WR, BAL) – 58% Owned

Smith delivered a wonderful Christmas line against the Steelers in Week 16, as he caught all seven of his targets for 79 yards and a touchdown. He even sprinkled in a two-point conversion as a stocking stuffer. He’s now found pay dirt in each of his last two games, and should be able to finish his 2016 season strong against a Cincinnati defense that won’t intimidate anyone.

Brandon LaFell (WR, CIN) – 34% Owned

LaFell was a casualty of the offensive horror show that was Cincinnati vs. Houston on Saturday night before he broke the game open with an 86-yard touchdown on a shallow crossing route where the safety took an awful route toward him. With A.J. Green shut down by the ownership, LaFell will finish out the season as Cincy’s #1 receiver in Week 17 against a Ravens defense that may be without top cornerback Jimmy Smith again.

J.J. Nelson (WR, ARI) – 17% Owned

Nelson showed up in a big way against Seattle’s defense in Week 16 thanks to his big-play ability, as he turned only three catches into 132 yards and a touchdown. He has now scored five touchdowns (four receiving, one rushing) over his last four games, and has now seen back-to-back weeks of healthy targets (18 combined looks) after he was surviving on only two targets per week in the first two games of his TD streak. He should be a solid WR3 candidate against the Rams in Week 17.

Sam Bradford (QB, MIN) – 31% Owned

Bradford had his best game of the season in Minnesota’s Week 16 loss to Green Bay, with a season-high 34 completions, 382 yards and three touchdowns in the effort. He is dealing with an ineffective rushing attack around him, and a brash defense that apparently thought they were better coaches than Mike Zimmer. When their brilliant scheme resulted in an early lead for Green Bay, Minnesota was forced to air the ball out. While Week 17 against Chicago is unlikely to follow the same game script, Bradford could still provide a decent floor for desperate owners.

Vernon Davis (TE, WAS) – 34% Owned

Davis was a nonfactor in Week 16 despite Jordan Reed being out, but should still be viewed as a TE2 if Reed cannot go against a Giants defense that has looked susceptible against more athletic tight ends this season. While the G-men have held TEs under 40 yards and out of the end zone in each of their last four games, the opportunity should be there with Davis being swifter than the likes of Jason Witten and Jesse James.